Some states call it "expungement" and others call it "expunction," but the process allows certain individuals convicted of certain crimes to "erase" their criminal records from public view. While the underlying conviction or arrest doesn't actually disappear (for instance, they could be counted as prior offenses in the event new charges are filed), it can help someone convicted of a crime -- or merely charged without a finding of guilt -- clean up their record. For example, employers may be wary of hiring anyone with a criminal record, regardless of the circumstances.
As FindLaw's Guide to Expungement pamphlet points out, eligibility for expungement depends on several different factors, including:
States also have slightly different procedures for accessing criminal records and having them expunged or sealed.
Expungement and Criminal Records: State Resources
Below you'll find state-specific information on arrest and/or criminal records and expungement (where available online) from sources such as state judiciaries, attorneys general, and state police agencies.
| Alabama | Background Check System (Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center) |
| Alaska | Criminal Records FAQs (Alaska Department of Public Safety) |
| Arizona | Criminal History Records (State of Arizona - Department of Public Safety) |
| Arkansas | Criminal Background Check (Arkansas State Police) |
| California | Clean Up Your Criminal Record (California Courts Self-Help Center) |
| Colorado | Forms: Sealing of Criminal Records (Colorado Judicial Branch) |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Law About Criminal Records (Connecticut Judicial Branch) |
| Delaware | Expungement of Criminal Records (Delaware Code) |
| District of Columbia | Sealing Criminal Records (District of Columbia Courts) |
| Florida | Seal and Expunge Process (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) |
| Georgia | Obtaining Criminal History Record Information (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) |
| Hawaii | Expungements (Hawaii Attorney General) |
| Idaho | Criminal History Information (Idaho State Police) |
| Illinois | Expungement Information (Office of the State Appellate Defender) |
| Indiana | Limited Criminal History Search (Indiana State Police) |
| Iowa | Criminal History Records (Iowa Department of Public Safety) |
| Kansas | Criminal History Record Check (Kansas Bureau of Investigation) |
| Kentucky | Clean Slate Kentucky: Expungement (State of Kentucky) |
| Louisiana | Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (Louisiana State Police) |
| Maine | Criminal History Records Requests (Maine Courts) |
| Maryland | Expungement (District Court of Maryland) |
| Massachusetts | Requests to Seal Files (General Laws of Massachusetts Ch. 276:100A) |
| Michigan | Do-It-Yourself Expungement (Michigan Legal Help) |
| Minnesota | Criminal Expungement (Minnesota Judicial Branch) |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Adult Criminal Record Forms: Conviction or Other Disposition (The Papillon Foundation) |
| Missouri | Petition for Expungement of Arrest Records [PDF file] (Missouri Courts) |
| Montana | Conviction Expungement Process (Montana Department of Justice) |
| Nebraska | Petition to Set Aside a Criminal Conviction (Nebraska Judicial Branch) |
| Nevada | Nevada Restoration of Rights, Pardon, Expungement & Sealing (Nevada Restoration of Rights Project) |
| New Hampshire | Criminal Records FAQs (New Hampshire Department of Safety) |
| New Jersey | How to Expunge Your Criminal Record [PDF file] (New Jersey Judiciary) |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Expungements (New Mexico Department of Public Safety) |
| New York | Sealed Criminal Records (New York State Unified Court System) |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Offender Information (North Carolina Department of Correction) |
| North Dakota | Expunging a Criminal Record (North Dakota Attorney General) |
| Ohio | Criminal Justice Information System (Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services) |
| Oklahoma | Expunging a Criminal Record (Legal Aid Oklahoma) |
| Oregon | Expungement: Set Aside Criminal or Arrest Record (Oregon Courts) |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (State of Pennsylvania) |
| Rhode Island | Expungement of Criminal Records (Judiciary of Rhode Island) |
| South Carolina | Expungements and Pardons (South Carolina Courts) |
| South Dakota | Computerized Criminal History System (South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation) |
| Tennessee | Guide to Expungement in Tennessee (Tennessee Courts) |
| Texas | Crime Records Service (Texas Department of Public Safety) |
| Utah | Expunging a Record (Utah Courts) |
| Vermont | Expungement-Sealing-Pardon Information (Vermont Criminal Information Center) |
| Virginia | Instructions for Petition for Expungement [PDF file] (Virginia Courts) |
| Washington | Washington Restoration of Rights, Pardon, Expungement & Sealing (Washington Restoration of Rights Project) |
| West Virginia | Expungement of Criminal Record and Criminal Offense Reduction (West Viginia Judiciary) |
| Wisconsin | Expunging Court Records (Marathon County, Wisconsin) |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Restoration of Rights, Pardon, Expungement & Sealing (Wyoming Restoration of Rights Project) |
Get Expert Legal Help With Expungement and Criminal Records in Your State
Getting your case expunged can have several positive effects upon your life. If you're looking to have your criminal record expunged or your arrest records sealed, now's the time to learn more from a criminal law expert. Start by discussing the facts of your situation with a skilled criminal defense attorney near you to find out more about expungement in your state.
